26 thoughts on “TTC Service Changes Effective February 16, 2025”

1. As a daily user of Warden Station, in particular the 17 Birchmount this is a welcome change.

   The temporary terminal was placed far from the station out of necessity however that almost means running to the buses to avoid them driving off before you get there.

   The 17 was particularly bad for this as you can see it when you enter EB into Warden on the Subway but you have to sprint to get there before it departs.

   I recall a few times recently where I had the operator pumping his brakes as I ran to catch the Birchmount bus at Warden.

   Another equally bad placement is the 102/902. The buses are up near St Clair Avenue East which means exiting the station, running out via the bus bays or St Clair Avenue East exit and down the street to (hopefully) catch the bus.

   If the TTC was smart they would have put the 902/102 in the temporary terminal at Bay 2 and the 68/968 at Bay 6.

   It makes you wonder who plans out where things go and if they actually walk around the site before doing things.

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2. Steve,

   Explain how or why they removed Aritcs on the 939 Express only to say a month later ‘service improved to Address crowding’ what types of buses are they using?

   Steve: Updated Feb 6/25 at 1:10pm:

   TTC Media Relations advises that there is a timing problem related to the mandatory stop at the crossing and the length of the bus. If an artic stops at the crossing, and then starts again, it is possible for the gates to come down before the longer vehicle has accelerated and cleared the crossing. TTC and Metrolinx are trying to work out this timing issue. Meanwhile, no artics on the 939.

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3. I know this is more about service. But looking at the vehicle availability that you mentioned, I know TTC took delivery of a significant amount of 6000 EV buses . What’s the status with these buses? Are they all being used, how many of them in service? I regularly see Arrow routes , but I don’t see many 6000s on the road, despite all the new deliveries. Clearly there’s something going on as to why there not in service in the abundance that they should be. Are the EVs not working out as TTC hoped? Apparently Nova only delivered one EV bus, from last year.

   Steve: Yes, although the highest fleet number in the tracking data today (Feb. 6/25) is 6036, less than half of them report being in service at some point. TTC is being very cagey with their reported performance numbers, and they are not splitting out the new deliveries from the “trial” fleets already on the property. Moreover, they only report mean distance to failure, and if a bus never leaves the garage, it never fails. The stats reflect only the active fleet. This is one of several problems with misreported stats in TTC reports. I will try to get more info, but it may take some effort.

   With the extra service as a result of the delayed LRT lines and 600s being used on schedule runs, what’s the status of ridership on those specific routes? I know on 305 Dundas night car, ridership increased, even though that wasn’t necessarily TTCs goal. It was because they didn’t have storage. Is TTC seeing similar ridership increase in those selected bus routes as well? And will TTC make those service increase permanent like they did with the Dundas night car?

   Steve: The TTC last published ridership stats for 2023. I have been trying to get access to the detailed automatic passenger counter data, but no luck so far.

   I wonder if TTC can claim those specific service increase into the Ridership Growth strategy?

   Steve: Only if they are permanent. When the LRT lines finally open, they will no longer have surplus operators.

   And what’s the status on the new CEO? I believe the time line for a new CEO was the end of January 2025. But you’ll have to remind me of the timeline TTC put out for the new CEO. Thanks!

   Steve: The selection was supposed to be finalised this month (Feb 2025) with an appointment, or at least an announcement in March. That’s when Greg Percy’s interim appointment ends.

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4. Do you have a list of the destination sign changes for all routes, and what new signs they will display?

   Thanks.

   Steve:

   • All references to STC will be standardized as “Scarborough Centre Stn”.
   • References to Coxwell Station will be standardized, but the service memo does not give the new name.
   • The 31 Greenwood will now display “via Greenwood Station” as part of its destination.
   • The 128 Stanley Greene will now display “to Locust Lodge Gardens” to match signage at Wilson Station.
   • The 300 Bloor Night Bus will gain exposures for Kennedy Station and Pearson Airport with and without a “Via Kipling Stn” exposure. “Short turn” signs are added for Keele, Victoria Park and Castle Frank stations. “Via Kipling Stn” signs are added for Warden and West Mall.
   • The 320 Yonge Night Bus will gain a “York Mills / Wilson” destination for periods when York Mills Station is closed, as well as “Short Turn/Finch Station”.
   • The 509B will display “to Exhibition” and “to Spadina”.
   • The 511 streetcar will display “King” southbound although it will actually run to Spadina & King. The 511B bus will display “Exhibition” and “Queen” without the “to” included in 509B signs.

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5. Finally it’s good to see the TTC improving service at least on the 300 and 320 blue night routes but I now recently avoiding taking these routes due to overcrowding and too many homeless in the bus. Hope the TTC needs to address those problems. I also like how the TTC adds supplementary services on routes that are crowded. Most of the changes on the TTC made recently are seem to be on a common sense approach.

   Steve: The real problem is that they don’t have the budget headroom to add substantially more service.

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6. Hi Steve, do you know why is it taking so long to restore the 4th train on Line 4?

   Steve: Budget. This restoration is planned to occur soon, well before Lines 1 and 2 will be back to full service. The change is part of the 2025 budget which has not yet been approved by Council.

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7. Steve, it’s now official.

   Starting on Monday, February 17, parts of two downtown TTC streetcar routes will switch to shuttle bus operation in advance of the upcoming Bathurst-Fleet-Lakeshore project, which involves streetcar track work, waterman work and streetscape enhancement.

   The eastern half of the “509 Harbourfront” route, between Union subway station and the Queens Quay & Spadina loop will operate with streetcars, whereas the western half, between Queens Quay & Spadina loop and the Exhibition loop, via Fort York Boulevard, will operate with “509B Harbourfront” shuttle buses.

   The northern and central part of the “511 Bathurst” route will operate with streetcars between Bathurst subway station and the Charlotte Street loop (at King St. and Spadina Ave.) via King Street West, whereas the southern part of the route, between the Wolseley loop (Queen West & Bathurst) and the Exhibition loop, via Fort York Boulevard, will operate with “511B Bathurst” shuttle buses. There are transfer points between Queen Street and King Street.

   This setup will be in effect for the next few weeks or months until mid-June, in time for the tourist season.

   Steve: Why are you posting this as a comment? The info has been on the TTC’s website and I received the official service change memo earlier this week. The details are in my article.

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8. Many thanks for the write-up, Steve!

   I have not used the 320 Yonge bus since before the pandemic and at that time, I was only riding in the early morning on Sundays before the subway would open. Service quality left a lot to be desired and I suspect not much has changed since then.

   Looking at your spreadsheet, what do you mean by overnight (1), (2) and (3) for routes 300 and 320?

   Steve: The service memo does not define these periods. Usually this info is included, but the “service bands” as TTC calls them are missing for all routes in the current round. I was waiting until the GTFS versions of the schedules went up so that I could figure out when the transitions occur, and see that they were just posted on Feb. 6. Stay tuned.

   You also mentioned that there will be more articulated buses on these routes…is there a breakdown of how many runs are to be operated with articulated buses versus standard-sized buses?

   Steve: There are no specifics in the service memo, and the GTFS schedules do not specify vehicle type.

   Before 2020, the articulated buses on the 320 were a rara avis on Sunday mornings – I think you could count them on the finger of one hand!

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9. Where is the update on the southbound Spadina trackwork between Yorkdale & Lawrence West which slows the subway to a crawl every morning ? Adds 3-6 min to getting to work. Been dealing with this for weeks. Before it was from Wilson to Lawrence West… When will this end?

   Steve: In some of the open cut sections there are problems with the ballast and foundation that cannot be fixed in the winter. There is no work planned in that area until July.

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10. Hey Steve. I’m not certain where your source is and how you get this information, but is there ANY hope of the 68/968 ever using artics? The bus can be rather busy during school hours and I can tell the drivers & the passengers do NOT like being crammed in with students.

    Steve: I wouldn’t hold your breath. The TTC does not appear to be expanding its artic fleet which if anything might shrink if the older buses are retired at the 12-year mark.

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11. Aren’t all the Coxwell routes already standardized?

    Steve: I’m just posting what the TTC claims. There is also 31 Greenwood and 70 O’Connor at this loop, although the 70 will vanish as a separate route when it is merged with the 22 Coxwell later this year.

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12. Steve – thanks for the update to the 939 artic situation and for the Feb 16 updates. I’m hopeful they will reinstate them soon with the old stop and check policy once they fix the timing issue of the gates. The fact that they haven’t converted 935 or 927 to artics (although since removed from 939, 927 started using them in daytime runs and 41 in all runs) and that they kept the 939 bus bay changes gives me hope – Do you know if they have confirmed plans on reinstating them later this year?

    Steve: Nothing definite.

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13. Hey Steve!

    The TTC posted their version of the route changes on their website, and noted that many routes will have schedule changes. You did not note these changes in your write up, would you happen to know what changes are being made (specifically for the 80 Queensway).

    Steve: There is a long list included about half way through my article of routes where the TTC plans to run additional service with spare operators and buses. That’s the extent of the change on 80 Queensway and many other routes. As usual, the TTC is overselling a service change making it look bigger than it really is.

    It’s amazing that two routes with big changes, 300 and 320 Bloor and Yonge night buses, are not mentioned at all.

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14. I have an ever increasing distrust of what the TTC says anymore.

    Steve: Updated Feb 6/25 at 1:10pm:

    TTC Media Relations advises that there is a timing problem related to the mandatory stop at the crossing and the length of the bus. If an artic stops at the crossing, and then starts again, it is possible for the gates to come down before the longer vehicle has accelerated and cleared the crossing. TTC and Metrolinx are trying to work out this timing issue. Meanwhile, no artics on the 939.

    The TTC changed its rail crossing procedure back in November to remove the requirement for buses to stop at protected railway crossings. That should have removed any possible issue about the gate arms contacting a bus crossing the tracks. Yet we still end up with the artics removed in January. Of course with the lead time for schedules and board periods it may have been too late to reverse the removal. But given the silos that exist in the TTC I can’t help but feel there is something else going on with this.

    Thanks Steve for your efforts to try and get info out of them. I know you can only post the information they give you.

    Steve: You’re welcome. For other readers, here is the announcement of the procedural change at crossings.

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15. Will the 77 Swansea stay at Mount Dennis or move back to Queensway after the interlining discontinuation with the 71 Runnymede?

    Steve: It stays at Mount Dennis.

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16. This upcoming weekend, there’s a revision of the TTC routes affected by the Bathurst-Fleet-Lakeshore track work, watermain work, and streetscape enhancement project. Actual work will begin on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. The 511 Bathurst streetcar will divert to King and Spadina beginning February 16; the same day the 511B shuttle buses between Queen & Bathurst to Exhibition Place via Fort York Boulevard returns.

    The 509 Harbourfront streetcar will turn back at Queens Quay and Spadina, and the 509B shuttle buses will run between Queens Quay and Spadina to Exhibition loop via Fort York Boulevard.

    This will remain in effect until June 21, 2025, the beginning of summer.

    As for the 510 Spadina streetcars returning to Spadina Avenue, the streetcar portal at Spadina subway station is expected to be completed at about mid-March. This comes in time for the Blue Jays home-opener series (March 27 to 30) at Rogers Centre.

    Steve: The shortened 509 Harbourfront to Queens Quay Loop will be replaced by the 510 Spadina to Union when it returns at the end of March.

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17. Steve, it’s now official. The 511 Bathurst streetcar began diverting to King Street West and Spadina Avenue; a shuttle bus began to serve the southern part, the 511B Bathurst, between Bathurst and Queen – Wolseley loop – and the Exhibition loop via Fort York Boulevard.

    As for the 509 Harbourfront route, it already began operating with shuttle buses – the entire length from Union subway station to the Exhibition loop. There will be a return of the 509 Harbourfront streetcar, running between the Union subway station and the Queens Quay loop. The balance of the route will be served by 509B shuttle buses.

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18. Steve, when streetcars return to the 510 Spadina route on Sunday, March 30, the shortened 509 Harbourfront streetcar (between Union subway station and the Queens Quay & Spadina loop) will be temporarily suspended until Saturday, June 21. The balance (remaining part) of the 509 Harbourfront route will continue to be operated with “509B Harbourfront” shuttle buses until Saturday, June 21.

    Steve: Yes, this has already been announced.

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19. Steve, during Phase 2 of the Bathurst-Fleet-Lakeshore TTC construction and streetscape project, there will be some streetscape improvements on Fleet Street.

    These will include pedestrianizing the street between Bathurst Street and Strachan Avenue, similar to the Queens Quay streetscape project (between Bay Street and Lower Spadina Avenue) one decade ago. This comes in addition to the TTC streetcar track replacement on Bathurst Street on both the North and South sides of Lakeshore Boulevard.

    Steve: For readers: there is a presentation deck from a mid-February online consultation session with more details.

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20. Steve, it’s now official. The 510 Spadina streetcar, which runs between Spadina subway station in the North and Union subway station in the South, via Queens Quay West, is scheduled to return on Sunday, March 30, 2025.

    The 509 Harbourfront streetcar, which nowadays runs between Union subway station and the Queens Quay & Spadina loop, will be suspended temporarily until Saturday, June 21; the entire route of 509 Harbourfront will then operate with shuttle buses.

    Last night I read the detailed information you sent about the Bathurst-Fleet-Lakeshore TTC track construction project. It includes some mention of the return of streetcars to Spadina Avenue. However, the main focus is on the west end of 509 Harbourfront and south end of 511 Bathurst routes, which switched to shuttle bus operation during the Family Day long weekend.

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21. Steve, work began recently on taking out the old rails and concrete embedding on Bathurst Street north of Lakeshore Blolevard. It included where the “509 Harbourfront” and “511 Bathurst” streetcar routes converge.

    When this work (of removing old rails and concrete) is done, then the work of replacing it will begin.

    There will be similar work on Bathurst Street South of Lakeshore, down to the west end of Queens Quay West.

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22. Starting on Sunday, March 30 – the date of the next schedule change – the remaining stretch of the “509 Harbourfront” still operating with streetcars, will be suspended and switch to shuttle bus operation, joining the western part of the route which is already operating with 509B Harbourfront shuttle buses.

    This means that the entire route will operate with shuttle buses, between the Union Station loop, along Queens Quay West, to the Exhibition loop via Fort York Boulevard. It will be branded the 509B Harbourfront route, and be in effect March 30 to June 21, 2025.

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23. Steve, in addition to the return of the 510 Spadina streetcar, we’ll also see the 510B Spadina shuttle buses returning. The latter will be temporary, in effect between Sunday, March 30 and Saturday, June 21, 2025.

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24. Steve, TTC track work on the Bathurst-Fleet-Lakeshore route is in progress. The old tracks and surrounding concrete embedding are being jackhammer north of Lakeshore, and soon south of Lakeshore. Eventually, the new tracks will be laid down and new concrete will be poured.

    The south end of the 511 Bathurst route and the west end (and soon the entire stretch) of the 509 Harbourfront route continue to operate with shuttle buses, effective until Saturday, June 21, 2025.

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25. Hey Steve I have a question. How come the 73 Royal York one of Queensway’s majority routes and it’s being treated like a minority one. Service especially on the C is terrible.

    My plan for this route is that they should leave the B where it is. Then they should enhance the C with more buses like 14 or 12 buses considering it’s a majority branch. And they should extend the D branch to Thistle Down Blvd and make it run full time in Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays.

    The 73 should have 15 or 16 buses every day so service is good and ridership can increase. And they should make an express route on the 73 so that service can be even better.

    That’s my plan 14 or 13 buses on the C for Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and two for the B. While on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The C should have 12 buses the D 3 and the B has 1. Plus the express route 973 to either Humberline drive or Claire port crescent. That’s my plan and add more buses on the 80 and 40. And they should add artics on the 52. Thanks for reading my strong opinion and plan to improve service.

    Steve: Why the split service design for alternate days?

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26. Sorry for the confusion of my comment. All I’m trying to say is that the 73 should have more buses on their C branch considering it’s a long branch. And the D should be extended to Thistle Down Blvd. And the 80 and 40 should have more buses so as the 127, and the 127 should be moved back to Mount Dennis. And the 45 should be moved back to Queensway along with the 945 and the 89, 52 back to Mount Dennis. And the 52 should have artic buses on its route. That’s my opinion.

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